Many types of aircraft, such as aerostats, fixed wing aircraft, powered lift aircraft, and rotorcraft, include power distribution systems for distributing electrical power to various electrical loads onboard the aircraft. The demand for electrical power provided by power distribution systems onboard aircraft continues to increase. The increased demand may be based on an increased number of electrical loads and/or an increase in the amount of electrical power consumed by electrical loads onboard the aircraft. For example, electrical starter-generators, electrically powered environmental control and pressurization systems, electrically actuated flight controls, electrical engine and flight management systems, and electrical anti-ice and de-ice systems are electrical loads that have been added relatively recently onboard aircraft. New electrical loads have also been added to passenger aircraft to increase comfort standards and/or to provide the passengers with more entertainment and/or other services. Moreover, as electrical loads become more advanced, for example to include more features and/or capability, the electrical loads consume a greater amount of electrical power.
At least some known aircraft include alternating current (AC) power distribution systems that distribute AC power to the various electrical loads onboard the aircraft. However AC power distribution systems are not without disadvantages. For example, many of the electrical loads onboard an aircraft, if not a majority, are direct current (DC) loads that are configured to operate using DC. Accordingly, power conversion stages must be provided at each DC load to convert the AC power provided by the AC power distribution system to DC power that can be used by the DC load. However, the power conversion stages provided at each of the DC loads to convert from AC power to DC power increase the weight, size, and number of components of the power distribution system. Moreover, the power conversion stages provided at each of the DC loads to convert from AC power to DC power may decrease the reliability and/or maintainability of the power distribution system.